Once Was Blind
by Evil Overlady
Summary: Missing scene from Season 2 after Yami Bakura's duel with Yami Yugi.


Author's Notes: The following takes place after Yugi's duel with Bakura in Season 2. With Serenity's eyesight restored, she sees things no one else does (idea comes from the movie "The Eye"). Yu-gi-oh! belongs to Kazuki Takahashi. No money; don't sue. This story is my own. Enjoy!

Summary: After Bakura loses to Yugi in the Battle City Finals, Serenity visits him and reflects on those final moments before Slifer's attack. Serenity/Y. Bakura

Once Was Blind

By Evil Overlady

It was quiet. Bakura and Yugi had fought a long, tough duel.

Only… it wasn't really Bakura fighting Yugi, was it? Serenity flashed back to those final moments of the duel. Bakura had fallen to his knees, succumbing to the pain of his injured arm.

Around Serenity, her brother, Téa, Tristan, Mai, Duke, all demanded Kaiba end the duel. A shadow stood over Bakura, arms crossed. He seemed like he was… gloating.

Serenity stepped forward. The others continued to shout. They didn't see what she saw - the one person with the power to do anything just stood there. _Do something,_ she demanded, willing her thoughts towards that shadowy figure. Her hands balled into fists at her sides. She thought about the duel between Yugi and her brother, the senselessness of it all… while some shadow just stood back and watched. "_Do_ something!" she shouted.

The figure started. His arms uncrossed as he searched.

Serenity took a step to the side, separating from the group, staring down that figure. "You have the power to _do_ something." She stepped in front of Namu. "End this."

She could feel the shadow's eyes on her, could feel Namu's as well. An icy dread crept into every fiber of her being, like she'd just put herself in physical danger, but she stood her ground. She'd stood up to her father to protect her brother. This was no different. "You're the only one who can."

He stared back, though she couldn't see his eyes. A long moment passed between them.

Then, he gave her a nod.

The Ring around Bakura's neck glowed and blinded her in a flash of light.

Serenity brought herself back to the present to Bakura's steady breathing. The doctors had done all they could, cleaned and changed the bandages to his arm, hooked him up to an IV and monitoring equipment, then asked everyone to leave so he could rest.

They did.

Now that Bakura got the help he needed, Joey was able to calm down enough to turn his attention to preparing for the next duel. Tristan and Duke started fighting again. When Téa stepped in to break it up, Serenity took the opportunity to slip out. She needed time alone to try to understand what it was she saw.

The blimp moved with a soothing hum, shifting its course ever so slightly. Moonlight crept into the dark room.

The heart monitor beeped. Bakura rested peacefully.

Serenity listened for sounds in the hall of anyone coming to find her.

There were none, save for the fading footfalls of one of Kaiba's men making his rounds.

Serenity released the breath she was holding and made her way to Bakura's bedside.

She stood over him. The moonlight made his thick white hair seem to glow, illuminating his peaceful innocent face, not at all like the duelist who faced Yugi in this evening's duel.

Serenity slipped her hand under his and held it. "So cold," she said sadly. She put her other hand over his and sat on the cushioned seat by the bed. She tried to massage warmth back into his fingers.

He gave a comforted moan and drifted off into an even deeper restful sleep.

Serenity took one hand away to brush the hair from his face. "Rest now." She smiled reassuringly. "You're in good hands."

She returned her hand to his and sighed, lost in her own thoughts. "Why is this happening to us?" Between those goons that came after her and Tristan and Joey being forced to duel Yugi, it all seemed to point to something terrible. She wished she understood what and why.

A shadow fell over them, and Serenity looked up to find that same figure she saw before standing over them from the other side of the bed.

She gasped and jumped up, barely saving herself from tripping over the seat she'd been seated in.

She could _see_ him this time. He was dressed like Bakura, from his clothes down to the same bandaged arm. But his eyes were dark, as if lined with black eyeliner, and his hair stood in a way Bakura's didn't, like a mane of some wild beast.

"W-who are you?"

"So you _can_ see me. Interesting…." He stepped out from behind the bed. "Usually, only my host can see me. And pharaoh." He looked at Bakura. "But none of those others he keeps around him. They only see my host." He looked back to her. "So, how is it that you see what they don't? Hm?"

She shook, despite her best efforts. She was afraid. "I-I'll scream."

"And disturb Bakura's much needed rest?" He placed his hand over Bakura's, and she could see through it. "I think not. Besides, you wouldn't want to alert Marik to our little conversation, now would you?"

Serenity gulped. "Yugi says you two are working together."

He laughed softly. "Yes, I'm sure that's what he said."

Serenity look puzzled. "Aren't you?"

He smiled. "Yes… and no. As I told little Yugi, it's much more complicated than he's been led to believe." He sighed and stepped away from the bed towards her. "But you needn't concern yourself with such matters."

She backed away. "Wh-what are you going to do?"

He pulled something small, round, and glowing from his pocket. "Relax. It's for your own good."

"Get away from me!" Her heel hit the chair, and she couldn't retreat.

She could see the object in his hand, a gold eye. "Forget what you saw tonight." The eye glowed.

Serenity felt all energy drain from her. "No…" she pleaded.

"Forget." The shadows started to close in around her.

Tears started to run down her face as Serenity tried to resist the darkness.

"You're having a bad dream."

She managed to pull her eyes from the glowing item to look into his eyes.

She expected to find malice in them, something she could fight against. She was surprised to find the opposite. _Why are you doing this?_

_You saved my host. I'm returning the favor. Marik must not find out about you._ "Now, sleep."

She gave in. Darkness took her, and she remembered no more.


End file.
